1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to sailing vessels. In particular, it relates to a dynamic shock dampened rig centering keel and hull support mechanism for sailing windsurfing catamarans that automatically corrects for shifts in mast orientation due to wind changes. It further relates to a rig apparatus that remains stable while allowing independent unstayed hull movement over wave surfaces.
2. Background Art
Windsurfing is a well-established and popular sporting activity that is enjoyed in many locations worldwide. The sport began by loosely attaching a pivoting mast and sail onto a conventional surfboard. This simple structure proved so enjoyable that it quickly became a widespread activity in beach areas worldwide. Originally, windsurfers were relatively small devices that used small sails that are easily manipulated by an individual through direct physical force. The structure provides several advantages including the proportionally highest sailing speeds, simplicity of design, and relatively low cost. They also have some disadvantages. In particular, windsurfing requires a certain amount of skill to be done properly, it requires a fair amount of physical strength and agility, and it also requires that the sailor have a substantial amount of endurance due to the high level of physical activity associated with the sport. It further requires the sailor to stand on the unstable floating board, while lifting and supporting the mast, boom and sail and positioning the sail favorably against the wind. It would be desirable to have a windsurfing device which can be used by sailors having lower skill levels, and which can be used for extended periods of time by sailors having ordinary physical strength and endurance characteristics.
One attempt to overcome the disadvantages associated with the original surfboard-based windsurfing device has been the development of larger, more complex windsurfing devices such as windsurfing catamarans. Prior art windsurfing catamarans have addressed some of the problems associated with windsurfers, but have made some of the problems more difficult. For example, prior art windsurfing catamarans improve upon a conventional windsurfer in the sense that they can support a larger sail assembly so they can potentially go faster than a conventional surfboard-based windsurfer. In addition, like conventional catamarans, prior art windsurfing catamarans have a higher degree of hull stability as compared to a windsurfer and are more difficult to capsize due to their dual parallel hulls. As a result, these windsurfing catamarans do not require the agility and skill on the part of the sailor that is necessary to stand on an unstable hull and maintain the windsurfing sail in a stable upright position as on a windsurfer.
While prior art windsurfing catamarans provide several advantages over a conventional windsurfer, they also have several drawbacks. In particular, to reach the same speed as a windsurfer, the sail on these catamarans must be substantially larger than the sail on a windsurfer to compensate for the added weight of their hulls and deck areas. While a standing sailor can control the relatively small sail on a windsurfer, the level of energy generated by a larger sail on such windsurfing catamarans is too strong for sailors to control through direct physical force. As a result, there is a substantial amount of difficulty presented to a sailor when some changes in wind direction and/or wind strength occur. Likewise, the catamaran structure is larger and its direction on the surface of the water cannot be easily controlled through physical force applied to the sail by the standing sailor unless a larger sail is not used, which automatically eliminates any relative speed advantage over a windsurfer.
In the case of a windsurfer, the unstable planing hull automatically adapts to wave oscillations. High-speed wave impact damage to the board, sail rig and sailor is prevented by free hull movement facilitated by a rubber universal joint at the base of the mast. This universal joint acts like a hinged strut allowing independent movement of hull and sail. The sailor stands on the windsurfer with bent knees that act as shock absorbers. By using his legs in this manner, a windsurfer sailor is able to maintain the hull position independent of the sail such that the hull remains in proper contact with the surface of the water. The unstable board conforms to the wave surfaces, while the sail rig and sailor's upper body remain in a relatively stable position oriented to the wind direction for maximum speed. Small windsurfing catamarans with no mechanical rig support are larger and heavier than windsurfers and too unresponsive for an individual sailor to control as effectively as a windsurfer in the required standing position, physically supporting the loose windsurfing wing. As a result, these windsurfing catamarans are slower than windsurfers. Their lower speeds and softer wave impacts cause no damage to the hulls, rig or sailors so they need little or no shock absorption.
A mechanical sailing rig support can allow a planing windsurfing catamaran to carry a large enough sail to reach high speeds while freeing the sailor from the physical requirements of standing, supporting and controlling a larger wing. However, for a windsurfing catamaran with a mechanical rig support to safely reach and surpass high windsurfer speeds in waves, hinged strut support and shock absorption of the rig, deck, hulls and sailor(s) are needed as much as on a windsurfer. Further, mechanical means must maintain the wing in a favorable position in relation to the wind direction while the hulls travel rapidly over bumpy waves, like the chassis of a car as the wheels travel at high speeds over rough terrain. And like a windsurfer, the windsurfing catamaran must be kept from capsizing by eliminating heeling.
Hull instability and rig stability are important on windsurfers and on all mechanical rig supported windsurfing catamarans. If the sail rig is fixed or stayed to the hulls in order to stabilize one in relation to the other, several disadvantages occur. First, the rapid acceleration and deceleration of the hulls at higher speeds, caused by the increased inertia and momentum of a fixed rig, will result in the rigid craft being constantly pounded by waves. This may cause structural damage to the hull, sail rig and sailor, as often happens on standard racing sailboats with fixed rigs. Second, the rapid impacts on the rigid hull will brake the forward motion of the craft through the water and result in loss of speed. Third, the bucking hulls would transmit this motion to the sailing rig, repeatedly changing the ideal orientation of the sail to the wind, reducing sail efficiency and lowering the speed over the waves. The rigid craft will then slog through the waves like conventional sailboats instead of its hulls independently adapting to the wave surfaces and riding smoothly over them like a windsurfer.
On a mechanical rig supported catamaran, it would be desirable to have an automatic method of controlling hull and rig position such that the hulls maintain proper contact with the surface water and the sail rig stays upright and oriented to the wind without being fixed to the bucking hulls. This will eliminate the disadvantages associated with sail rigs rigidly fixed to hulls and also eliminate the heeling or capsizing force to the windsurfing catamaran.
While providing a variety of catamaran types, the prior art has failed to provide a capsize resistant, high speed windsurfing catamaran with a shock damping hull and sail assembly capable of dynamic self correction during wind changes and further capable of supporting and protecting the rig, hulls and sailor(s) from impact damage while maintaining independent contact of the hulls with wave surfaces.